The present invention relates to a motorcycle having a body frame carrying thereon an engine, a fuel tank and a seat and, front and rear wheels rotatably supported respectively at the front of and at the rear of the body frame and, in particular, to the rear body structure of the motorcycle.
As a motorcycle of this type, conventionally, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Postexamined Publication JP-B-62-21509U, FIG. 8 shows a rear wheel fender 1000 for a motorcycle which is composed of a rear part 1001 of a rear wheel fender (a rear fender rear half) and a front part 1002 of a rear wheel fender (a rear fender front half): specifically, the rear fender rear half 1001 is an integrally united body composed of a rear fender tail portion 1003 for covering the rear portion of a rear wheel and a seat tail cowl portion 1004 for covering the portion of the body frame situated in the rear of a seat; and, the rear wheel fender front part 1002 covers the upper and front portions of the rear wheel and includes a box-shaped storage portion 1005 formed integrally in the rear portion thereof.
In the thus structured motorcycle, in the interior of the seat cowl portion 1004 of the rear fender rear half 1001, there is disposed the box-shaped storage portion 1005 that is integrally formed in the rear portion of the rear fender front half 1002.
However, in the conventional structure in which the box-shaped storage portion is inserted into the seat cowl portion, there are present dual walls; and, therefore, a space in the interior of the seat cowl portion cannot be utilized effectively, which inconveniently reduces the storage capacity of the structure. Also, conventionally, there are used a large number of screws or bolts in mounting the composing parts of the structure on each other or in assembling the composing parts to the body frame side, that is, the composing parts are large in number, which inevitably takes time and labor to assemble the composing parts to the body frame.
The present invention aims at eliminating the drawbacks found in the conventional motorcycle rear body structure. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved motorcycle rear body structure that can be simplified in structure and assembly effectively.
In attaining the above object, according to the invention, there is provided a motorcycle rear body structure with a rear fender disposed in the periphery of a rear wheel, comprising: a rear fender composed of a rear fender front half and a rear fender rear half connected to each other, the rear fender rear half consisting of an integral body of a seat tail cowl portion and a fender tail portion, wherein a tail light serving also as a brake light, a license plate mounting portion and a license plate, and a pair of right and left direction indicating lights are mounted on the rear fender rear half, thereby forming the rear wheel rear fender as a unit.
In a motorcycle rear body structure according to the invention, the tail light is mounted on the rear fender rear half through a tail light bracket to be mounted on the interior of the seat tail cowl portion of the rear fender rear half, and also the tail light bracket extends forwardly along the inner surfaces of the right and left side walls of the seat tail cowl portion, and includes right and left stay portions each having a fastening portion in the front end portion thereof, while the stay portions and seat tail cowl portion are fastened and fixed to each other by bolts disposed in the base portions of the direction indicating lights.
Also, in a motorcycle rear body structure according to the invention, in the connecting portion between the rear fender front half and rear fender rear half, the rear end portion of the rear fender front half is superimposed on and connected to a shelf-shaped rib from above, the rib being interposed between the seat tail cowl portion and the fender tail portion of the rear fender rear half; and, the seat tail cowl portion of the fender tail part and the upper surface of the rear portion of the rear fender front half cooperate together in forming a storage portion.
Further, in a motorcycle rear body structure according to the invention, in the case of a front portion of the rear fender front half is fastened to and supported on a rear fender bracket front portion disposed on the front portion of a rear frame through the side walls of an onboard-motorcycle battery storage portion integrally projected up to the upper surface of the rear wheel front fender front portion, while the rear portion of the rear wheel fender front part is fastened to and supported on a rear fender bracket rear portion disposed on the rear portion of the rear frame; in the case of the rear wheel fender rear part, the upper surface of the seat tail cowl portion together with a rear carrier and the rear frame bridge rear portion of the rear frame are fastened and fixed to each other, while the lower portions of the side surfaces of the seat tail cowl portion together with the rear portion of the rear wheel fender front part and the rear fender bracket rear portion are fastened and fixed to each other; and, a projection-shaped boss is disposed on the rear fender bracket rear portion, while the rear portion mounting hole of the rear wheel fender front part is formed so as to be engageable with the projection-shaped boss.
And, according to the invention, there is provided a motorcycle, comprising: a body frame carrying thereon an engine, a fuel tank and a seat, wherein a front wheel is supported by the lower ends of a pair of front forks supported on a steering head pipe disposed on the upper front portion of the body frame, while a rear wheel is supported by a pair of swing arms disposed on the lower rear portion of the body frame, characterized by any one of the above-mentioned rear body structures.
According to the invention, the seat tail cowl portion for covering the rear portion of the seat and the fender tail portion for covering the rear portion of the rear wheel are formed as an integral body. This can enhance the appearance of the rear fender rear half, can increase the connecting strength between the seat tail cowl portion and fender tail portion, and can omit screws which are conventionally used to connect together the seat tail cowl portion and fender tail portion.
Also, when mounting the tail light or direction indicating lights onto the rear fender rear half, since the tail light and direction indicating lights are fastened and fixed to each other using the bolts for the two direction indicating lights, there can be omitted the mounting screws which are used to mount the tail light 4. Also, when mounting the unit-formed rear fender rear half onto the body frame side, the rear fender rear half and rear fender front half are fastened together in the lower portions of the side surfaces of the seat tail cowl portion, or the rear fender rear half and the rear carrier and rear frame are fastened and fixed to each other in the upper surface portion of the seat tail cowl portion, which makes it possible to omit the mounting bolts.
Thus, according to the invention, since the rear fender is formed as an integral body, not only the appearance and strength thereof can be enhanced, but also the number of composing parts thereof can be reduced. Because the composing parts are fastened to each other when mounting them onto the motorcycle body frame, screws and bolts can be omitted. As a result of this, the structure of the rear fender can be simplified and the number of steps of assembling the rear fender can be reduced.